Plunger pump



Feb. 21, 1950 M. w. COLEMAN 2,498,359

PLUNGER PUMP Filed April 29, 1947 Patented Feb. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLUNGER PUMP Marvin W. Coleman, Dearborn, Mich.

Application April 29, 1947, Serial No. 744.724

4 Claims. (Cl. 4-255) This invention relates generally to pump plun ers and refers more particularly to improvements in the type of hand operated plungers employed in clearing drains.

Plungers of the above general type usually comprise an elongated handle having an inverted cup-shaped member secured to one end thereof and formed of rubber or some equivalent resilient material. The open side of the cup-shaped membet is of suflicient dimension to fit over a drain and the walls of the member are sufficiently resilient to collapse in response to a downward thrust on the handle. Once the lip of the cupshaped member is firmly engaged with the surface surrounding the drain, the interior of the member is sealed, with the result that air is displaced under pressure into the drain in response to collapsing the member, and is withdrawn from the drain upon restoring the member to its normal shape. The resulting agitation has a tendency to dislodge particles clogging the drain and some success has been obtained in cases where the condition is not severe.

It is the object of this invention to improve the effectiveness of the above general types of plungersby incorporating means enabling selective operation of the plunger as a suction pump or pressure pump depending upon which method is the most suitable for the particular application of the pump.

Another feature of this invention is to connect the interior of the inverted cup to the atmosphere with a passage having annular seats spaced from each other in the direction of air flow through the passage and having valve means-comprisingdiscs secured at their central portions to a reciprocable element and having flexible peripheral portions alternatively engageable with the valve seats upon movement of the element in opposite directions. The specific arrangementis such that when the valve means is moved to engage one of the valve discs with the adjacent seat, the air displaced by collapsing the inverted cup-shaped member is permitted to escape through the passagefto the atmosphere instead of being forced into the drain as isthe case with orthodox plungers'. P However, in the above position of the valve means, reverse flow of air into the cup is prevented when the cup is restored to its normal shape, so that a suction is created in the drain. On the other hand, when the valve means is moved to engage the other valve disc with its adjacent seat, the" air trapped in the cup is prevented from escaping. from the cup to the atmosphere, as the cup is collapsed, so that air is forced into thedrain. This lattervalve disc, however, permits air to flow from the'atmosphere into the cup when the latter is restored to its normal shape, so that no suction is created, and the plunger acts solely as a pressure pump.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made moreapparent as this, description proceeds, especially when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a plunger type pump constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively cross sectional views taken'on the planes indicated by the lines 2 --2 and 3-3 of Figure 1.

The hand operated plunger pump illustrated. in the drawing comprises an elongated handle Ill and an inverted cup-shaped member I I se cured to thelower end of the handle. The bandle l0 maybe formed of any suitable material, such for example, as Wood, plastic or metal, andthe inverted' cup-shaped member I I is preferably formed of rubber, synthetic rubber, or some material' having equivalent characteristics.

The handle I0 is formed with an axially extending bore l2 therethrough having a reduced portion l3 at the lower end providing an annular shoulder [4: .A tube l5 of wear-resisting material is secured in the bore l2 with the lower end spaced annular valve seats l6 and H. The upper end portion'of the tube I5 is open for receiving an operating plunger I'8 having an annular groove 19 in the periphery thereof for receiving'a stop- 20. Thesstop Z'O-is in the form of a screw threaded into" the upper; end of'a handle l0 and projecting into the groove l9 through an opening formed in the tube l5; The groove I9 is elongated in the direction of the length of the tube l5 to enableslidingmovement of the operating plunger I8 in opposite directions relative to the handle.

A valve carrying body 2| is slidably supported by the tube [5 at the lower end thereof and is formed with a reduced portion 22 having an outside diameter substantially less than the diameter'of theyval've seats l6 and I1. As shown in Figure lfiof'the drawing, the reduced portion 22 extends aizially through the valve seat I! and a valve disc-23 is clamped to the lower end of the the valve seats l6 and H. In the present instance the valve discs are clamped to the body 2| by a rod 2'! adapted to project through aligned openings formed in the washer 26, valve disc 25, spacer 24, valve disc 23 and the body 22. The lower end of the rod is formed with a head 23 engageable with the bottom surface of the washer 26, and the upper end of the rod is provided with a threaded portion 29. The rod is of sufficient length toxenablejfextending the threaded portion 29 into a bore 30 formedin the operating plunger I8. The upper end of the bore 30 is enlarged to v receive a tubular nut 3| internally threaded for threadably engaging the portion 29 of the rod. The plunger [8 is spaced from the valve carrying body 25 by a tube 32. The rod extends axially through the tube 32 and the tube is of sufficient length to enable respectively engaging opposite ends with the operating rying body 2 i.

It follows from the above that movement of the operating plunger 18in opposite directions throughout the extent allowed. by the annular groove l9 efiects a corresponding movement of the valve carrying body 2|. This movement is transmitted to the valve discs by the valve carrying body 2|, and is sufficient to alternatively engage the peripheral portions of the discs with the valve seats [6 and I1 upon movement of the plunger l8 in opposite directions. Y The valve discs are formed of a flexible material, so that the peripheral portions of the discs may fiex' away from the valve seats to permit passage of fluid undercertain conditions. I

The cup-shaped member ll is-formed with a recess 34 at the upper end for receiving the lower end of the handle I0, and a port 35 is formed in the base of the cup-shaped member in registration with the reduced portion l3 of the bore-I2. The side wall of thecup-shaped member flares outwardly and terminates in a lip 36 for engagement with the surface surrounding a drain, for example. 1

The port 35 cooperates with the bore l2 to form a passage for air, and the upper end of the passage communicates with the atmosphere through bores 31 formed in the handle -l0 above the top valve seat [1.

shaped member between the base -;of the recess and the adjacent bottom surface of the handle to prevent foreign matter from escaping into the passage orborel2. 3

Referring now to the operation of the pump plunger and assuming that the operating plunger I8 is held in its lowermost position wherein the bottom disc valve 25 engages the adjacent seat [6, and that the inverted cup-shaped member is collapsed by exerting a downward'thrust on'the handle II], it will be noted that the air trapped in the cup-shaped members flows "upwardly against the peripheral portion of the valve disc 25. As a result the peripheral portion of the valve disc 25 is flexed away from. the seat I6 and the air is permitted to flow to the atmosphere throughout ports 31. However, reverse=flowfrom the atmosphere to the interior of the cup-shaped member II is prevented by the valve disc 25, so that a suction is created Within the cup-shaped member as the latter is restored to its normal shape. Thus the plunger acts entirely as a-suction pump, and very little or no air is forced into the drain as is the case with conventional-types of plungerpumps.

WheIl -it is desired to employ the plunger as a plunger l8 and valve'cary A filtering, screen 38 is preferably supported in the recess- 34 in thecupthe latter is returned to its normal position.

What I claim as my invention is:

cl. Aplunger comprising a handle and an inverted cup-shaped portion at one end of the handle collapsible to effect an increase in pressure therein, means for venting the interior of the cup-shaped portion to the atmosphere ineluding a passage having annular valve seats spaced from each other in the direction of flow through the passage, and valve means slidably supported in the passage between said seats and relatively engageable with the seats upon movement in opposite directions. a

2. A plunger type pump comprising a handle, an inverted collapsible cup-shaped member of resilient material secured to one end .of the. handle, means for venting the interior of the cup shaped member includinga passage having annular valve seats spaced from each other in the direction of flow through the passage, a plunger movable in opposite directions in the passage, andvalve discs secured at their centers to the plunger and having flexible peripheral portions alternatively engageable with the valve seats .upon move-, ment of the plunger in opposite directions.-

3. A plunger type pump comprising a handlehaving a bore therethrough, an inverted col lapsible cup-shaped member of resilient mate;-- rial having the base secured to one endof the handle and having an opening through the base registering with the bore in the handle to provide a passage, a port through oneside of the handle connecting the passage to the atmosphere, a pair of annular valve seats located in the passage between the port and opening in the base;of. the cup-shaped member and spaced from each. other lengthwise of the passage, a plunger supported in the passage for movement in opposite directions lengthwise of the passage, and valve discs secured at the central portions to the plunger between the valve seats and having flexible peripheral portions alternatively engageable with the valve seats upon movement of the plunger in opposite direction.

4. A plunger type pump comprising a handle, an inverted collapsible cup-shaped member of resilient material secured to one end of the handle, means for venting the interior of the cupshaped member to the atmosphere includinga passage having annular valve seats spaced from each other in the direction of air flow through the passage, a plunger slidably supported in the pas;- sage and having a portion extending through the annular valve seats, valve discs secured atttheir-v central portions to the plunger in spaced rela:-; tion to each other between the valve seats andhaving flexible peripheral portions alternativelyengageable with the valve seats upon movement of the plunger in opposite directions, and means accessible for manipulation on said handle and connected to said plunger for sliding the same.

- MARVIN COLEMAN."

' (References 011 following page) REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the file of thls patent. 2,368,091

UNITED STATES PATENTS I 5 Number Name Date 930,236 Schacht Aug. 3, 1909 Number 1,408,724 Decrow Mar. 7, 1922 324,984

Name Date Stephenson Sept. 4, 1934 Goldwater Mar. 2, 1943 Andersen Jan. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy Feb. 23, 1935 

